Improvement in car-coupling tighteners



W. B. DUNNING.

CAR-COUPLING TIGHTENERS Patented May 30, 1876 N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

WILLIAM nunnmc, or GENEVA, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLING TIGHTENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 177,995, dated May 30, 1876; application filed May 8,- 1876.

useful Method of Taking up the Slack in Car- Oouplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to-the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a top or plan sectional view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing the hand-wheel h, by which the slack is taken up. Fig. 3 shows a modification of the tightener.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and convenient method of taking up' the slack in the ordinary link-couplings for railroad-cars. It consists in the employment, for that purpose, of a ratcheted shaft, connect -.ing-chain, and a sliding coupling-jaw to receive the link and pin.

I provide the upper and lower plates of the draw-bar B each with an offset, is, for the support of the ratcheted shaft 8. I also pivot between said plates, so as to turn easily, a flanged pulley or. spool, a, across or partially around which the chain 0 is drawn in passing from the coupling-jaw b to the ratcheted shaft 8. The jaw bis fitted to slide freely longitudinally between the plates of the draw-bar. It is kept in its proper position or in line by means of lugs or pins 0, resting in a longitudinal groove in one of the plates of the draw-bar. The jaw is provided with a staple, '6, or other suitable means of connecting the chain thereto.

The coupling-pin dis inserted through the upper and lower wings of the jaw 12, as shown, and by means of elongated openings 0' through the upper and lower plates of the draw-bar, the pin is permitted to move backward and forward with the coupling-jaw.

When two cars are to be coupled, the chains 0 are slackened on both cars, and the coupling-jaws b drawn forward to the position dicated by full lines in the drawings. The link and pin are then inserted inone drawbar, and when the coupling is performed,.

which is effected in the usual way, where links and pins are employed, the slack is wholly taken up, and the cross-beams of the platforms, or the bufi'ers, if the latter are employed, are drawn snugly together by turning the hand-wheel h, which draws the jaw b back within the draw-bar by windinglup the chain around the ratcheted shaft 3 of the handwheel, where the parts are all firmly secured by the pawl 12.

It might be desirable to dispense with the spool a, and'arrange the ratcheted' shaft s in its place, :is shown in Fig. 3, in which case the upper end of the shaft is squared to receive a key or crank with which to wind up the chain. Access may be had to the shaft by providing a small trap or lid in the platform of the car.

Instead of the chain, a screw might be swiveled to the jaw 12, and passed through a worm-nut, to be turned by a key or crank.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. .In combination with the ratcheted shaft s, and chain 0, the sliding coupling-jaw or take-up b, constructed and arranged to be operated substantially in the manner shown and described, for the purpose of taking up the slack in car-couplings.

2. In combination with the ratcheted shaft 8, chain 0, and spool a, the sliding couplingjaw or take'up 12, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. 1n combination with the ordinary open linkandpin coupling, the take up 1, constructed and arranged to be operated substantially in the manner shown and described, and for the purposes set forth.

WM. B. DUNNLNG.

Witnesses:

WM. S: LOUGHBOROUGH, B. O. WILLIAMS. 

